Sioux Falls is a city located in Lincoln County South Dakota. Sioux Falls has a 2024 population of 210,734. Sioux Falls is currently growing at a rate of 2.09% annually and its population has increased by 8.94% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 193,437 in 2020.
The average household income in Sioux Falls is $95,726 with a poverty rate of 9.73%. The median age in Sioux Falls is 34.9 years: 34.3 years for males, and 35.6 years for females.
Sioux Falls is the state of South Dakota's largest city and the county seat of Minnehaha County. Sioux Falls is located on the banks of the Big Sioux River where Interstate 29 and 90 join.
The city proper has a population density of 2,109 people per square mile (814/square kilometer). The Sioux Falls metropolitan area has a population of nearly 250,000, which accounts for almost one-third of the state's entire population. The Sioux Falls-Sioux City Designated Market Area, a media market region covering four states, has a population estimated at 1.04 million.
Once South Dakota became a state in 1889, the region was settled by immigrants from Europe, particularly from Scandinavia and Germany. These remain the largest ethnic groups in the area. Lutherans account for the majority religion in Sioux Falls, followed by Roman Catholics.
Sioux Falls is one of the 50 fastest-growing cities in America and South Dakota's fastest-growing metropolitan area. Between 2000 and 2010, the city grew 22%. The most recent population estimate found that Sioux Falls has a population of 169,900 as of January 1, 2015, a growth of nearly 14,000 people over four years. Most of the new residents to the city are coming from Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois, although many are coming from Southern California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. By 2035, the population of Sioux Falls is projected to reach 233,000.
The Big Sioux River falls were created during the last ice age, and they have attracted many people to the land since then. Many indigenous peoples inhabited the area before Europeans arrived, including the Dakota, Nakota, Cheyenne, Quapaw, Kansa, and Missouri people. The high bluffs close to the river are still the site of several burial grounds from the region's early history.
French explorers were the first Europeans to arrive in the early 18th century. The first European American who visited was Philander Prescott in 1832. In 1856, the Dakota Land Company from St. Paul and the Western Town Company from Iowa organized to claim the land surrounding the falls. A temporary barricade was constructed called Fort Sod to respond to hostility from neighboring tribes. That first year, 17 men wintered in the region. The next year, Sioux Falls' population grew to 40.
In 1865, Fort Dakota was established in present-day downtown and a new wave of settlers came to the region. By 1873, the Village of Sioux Falls had 593 people. It was granted a city charter in 1883. The area experienced a large boom that decade as the railroads arrived and Sioux Falls' population grew from 2,100 in 1880 to more than 10,100 by 1890, although the growth slowed to a virtual standstill the next decade due to depression and a plague of grasshoppers.
By 1955, the city consolidated the neighboring city of South Sioux Falls, which had a population of 1,600. The population has proliferated since the 1970s, hitting 81,000 in 1980 and 153,000 in 2010.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Sioux Falls was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
---|---|---|
White | 157,122 | 81.24% |
Black or African American | 13,172 | 6.81% |
Two or more races | 11,869 | 6.14% |
Asian | 4,523 | 2.34% |
Native American | 3,678 | 1.9% |
Other race | 2,971 | 1.54% |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 66 | 0.03% |
White
Black or African American
Two or more races
Asian
Native American
Other race
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
---|---|---|---|---|
All | 79,753 | 2.36 | 60 | 40 |
Married | 35,669 | 3.11 | 83.7 | 16.3 |
Non Family | 32,767 | 1.26 | 40.5 | 59.5 |
Female | 7,758 | 3.21 | 36.6 | 63.4 |
Male | 3,559 | 3.04 | 54.5 | 45.5 |
3.04
Average Family Size
2.36
Average Household Size
60.0%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
9th to 12th Grade | 4,924 | 3.88% |
Associates Degree | 15,270 | 12.02% |
Bachelors Degree | 32,003 | 25.19% |
Graduate Degree | 15,031 | 11.83% |
High School Graduate | 30,774 | 24.23% |
Less Than 9th Grade | 3,710 | 2.92% |
Some College | 25,310 | 19.93% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
White | 107,396 | 102,911 | 42,312 |
Black | 6,865 | 5,561 | 1,328 |
Hispanic | 5,180 | 3,556 | 802 |
2+ Races | 4,354 | 3,604 | 1,165 |
Asian | 3,006 | 2,278 | 1,471 |
Native American | 2,022 | 1,571 | 139 |
Other Race | 1,598 | 983 | 290 |
Islander | 66 | 52 | 0 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 95.82%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 48.94%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
---|---|---|---|
Bachelors Degree | $58,350 | $68,426 | $50,467 |
Graduate Degree | $64,791 | $82,245 | $60,019 |
High School Graduate | $37,052 | $42,832 | $32,406 |
Less Than 9th Grade | $34,169 | $37,438 | $28,031 |
Overall | $47,133 | $53,967 | $41,625 |
Some College | $44,280 | $51,459 | $37,634 |
$47,133
Average Earnings
$53,967
Average Male
$41,625
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
89.42% of Sioux Falls residents speak only English, while 10.58% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 3.8% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
White | 149,813 | 10,961 | 7.32% |
Multiple | 11,421 | 2,529 | 22.14% |
Black | 12,947 | 2,366 | 18.27% |
Hispanic | 10,675 | 2,292 | 21.47% |
Native | 3,015 | 1,189 | 39.44% |
Other | 2,904 | 330 | 11.36% |
Asian | 4,455 | 252 | 5.66% |
9.73%
Overall Poverty Rate
8.94%
Male Poverty Rate
10.52%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Sioux Falls is Native, with 39.44% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Sioux Falls is Asian, with 5.66% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 1.7%. Among those working part-time, it was 17.39%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 18.87%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 19.57% |
High School | 11.78% |
Some College | 7.97% |
Bachelors or Greater | 3.38% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Female Unemployed | 31.8% |
Male Unemployed | 29.05% |
Female Employed | 6.45% |
Male Employed | 4.55% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
---|---|---|
Families | $93,682 | $117,563 |
Households | $71,785 | $95,726 |
Married Families | $110,074 | $137,486 |
Non Families | $46,729 | $61,455 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
49.1%
Overall Marriage Rate
49.9%
Male Marriage Rate
48.3%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
9,485
Number of Veterans
8,482
Male Veterans
1,003
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
---|---|
Vietnam | 3,514 |
Second Gulf War | 2,244 |
First Gulf War | 1,928 |
Korea | 447 |
World War II | 146 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
---|---|
65 to 74 | 2,778 |
35 to 54 | 2,354 |
75+ | 1,987 |
55 to 64 | 1,768 |
18 to 34 | 598 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 8,964 | 7.29% |
Black | 158 | 1.93% |
2+ Races | 155 | 2.63% |
Native American | 120 | 4.7% |
Hispanic | 114 | 1.72% |
Other Race | 61 | 2.93% |
Asian | 27 | 0.79% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
5.72%
Veteran Poverty Rate
28.3%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
74.2%
Labor Force Participation
72.3%
Employment Rate
2.3%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
57.52%
Born in Sioux Falls
91.33%
Native Born
8.67%
Foreign Born
4.63%
Non Citizen
4.04%
Naturalized
91.33% of Sioux Falls residents were born in the United States, with 57.52% having been born in South Dakota. 4.63% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Africa.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
---|---|---|---|
2029 | 232,356 | 4,325 | 1.9% |
2028 | 228,031 | 4,324 | 1.93% |
2027 | 223,707 | 4,324 | 1.97% |
2026 | 219,383 | 4,325 | 2.01% |
2025 | 215,058 | 4,324 | 2.05% |
2024 | 210,734 | 4,324 | 2.09% |
2023 | 206,410 | 4,394 | 2.18% |
2022 | 202,016 | 5,209 | 2.65% |
2021 | 196,807 | 3,370 | 1.74% |
2020 | 193,437 | 8,772 | 4.75% |
2019 | 184,665 | 4,016 | 2.22% |
2018 | 180,649 | 2,789 | 1.57% |
2017 | 177,860 | 4,126 | 2.37% |
2016 | 173,734 | 3,430 | 2.01% |
2015 | 170,304 | 3,157 | 1.89% |
2014 | 167,147 | 3,591 | 2.2% |
2013 | 163,556 | 3,659 | 2.29% |
2012 | 159,897 | 3,401 | 2.17% |
2011 | 156,496 | 1,958 | 1.27% |
2010 | 154,538 | 0 | 0% |
2000 | 123,975 | 23,161 | 22.97% |
1990 | 100,814 | 19,471 | 23.94% |
1980 | 81,343 | 8,855 | 12.22% |
1970 | 72,488 | 7,022 | 10.73% |
1960 | 65,466 | 12,770 | 24.23% |
1950 | 52,696 | 11,864 | 29.06% |
1940 | 40,832 | 7,470 | 22.39% |
1930 | 33,362 | 8,160 | 32.38% |
1920 | 25,202 | 11,108 | 78.81% |
1910 | 14,094 | 3,828 | 37.29% |
1900 | 10,266 | 89 | 0.87% |
1890 | 10,177 | -222,179 | -95.62% |